For the first few games of a new quarterback’s career as a starter, he has a little bit of an edge.
The opponents have little or no NFL game film to study.
The Broncos will be dealing with that dynamic as they prepare to host the Titans and quarterback Cam Ward, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 draft.
Coach Sean Payton was asked about preparing for a rookie in his first NFL start on Monday.
“You have a limited exposure in the preseason with him,” Payton told reporters. “Then you would go back and look at his college tape at Miami just to get a feel for not only arm strength, but how does he handle pressure? How does he handle his own? We do a pretty in-depth study. It’s pretty normal when you play teams early in the season maybe to not have all the information you might have when you play a team Week 8 or 9.”
As more film emerges, teams can identify what the player does well — and perhaps what he doesn’t do well. They can try to take away the things he likes to do, and to force him toward something that makes him uncomfortable.
Denver is favored by 7.5 points in the opener, for reasons unrelated to Ward. Denver was a playoff team, and they seem to be ready to force their way into the Super Bowl window. The Titans earned Ward the old-fashioned way. By being the worst team in the league in 2024.
Read the full article here
